For a team to continue his winning run not only it needs a strong playing XI and good bench strength, it also needs strict policies to be followed.

Sachin, Dravid and Laxman must go soon

Watching Dravid at the age of 39 playing for Indian ODI team in England series shows how bad the team planning is. Although core of Indian team players are injured but still it doesn’t make sense to bring the player back who is virtually counting his career days especially not after the team had been crowned as World Champions less than four months ago. There is no question on Dravid talent but it’s a red light on the road to the development of team.

A champion team knows when to prolong and when to end the chances for a player. Australia is a champion team and they had their timing of decisions mostly right. Their rules might sound cruel but they sent out a strong message to all the players that “team is first and players are next”. Steve Waugh, arguably the best captain of Australia was denied and forced to retire earlier on the same year when he wanted one last chance to win in India in 2004. Australian team management might have sounded rude here because for the success that Steve bought to them, he deserved a chance. But with youngsters knocking the door into the team, it was the best decision for the team since Steve was already 37yrs old. Steve place went to Michael Clarke in 2004 series where he played a significant role on his debut series in which Australia ended 35years test series win drought in India.

But the case with Indian team is different. Instances like Kapil Dev carried on playing so long denying Prasad the chance to debut earlier, Yuvraj at his peak was often denied a spot in the test XI and Harbhajan was in the team even after continuous poor performances shows the team management failures in carrying out effective planning. Now with Sachin, Dravid and Laxman all aging, it’s time to forecast and implement the effective plan.

Making a decision at right time is what matters in team sport. Although Sachin, Dravid and Laxman still add values to team, they are indirectly limiting chances for players in their right time. Indian young players like Rohit, Pujara and Kohli are at right stage to start playing longer format more. Because once a player finds his way going easy in playing cricket, they start losing focus for improvement and ends up becoming quantity rather than quality player as the year goes on. That’s what happened on the case of Badrinath, Jaffer and Yuvraj Singh.

After hitting a double century in last year Irani Trophy, Yuvraj Singh said to one of the selectors “it’s boring to play”. This statement was not against playing domestic cricket rather he wants challenges to keep him focused. Had the challenge of test cricket is given to Yuvraj at right time, who knows he might have become the Gary Sobers for Indian team by now. Same thing will happen to current crop of talented youngster very soon if chances are denied at right time.

Hopefully by next year, the baton will pass to talented youngsters from these three great players. Not only it gives chances to young talents but it also makes the team look lot fitter, stronger and better overall on the field.

Nothing wrong in honouring the great services of players like Sachin, Dravid and Laxman for the team but it is always right to put the team ahead of any player.